Justin, a Conestoga Valley High School freshman in the alternative-education program, is just learning to navigate Blended Schools — a statewide nonprofit organization that provides its member school districts with computer software and computer-centered lesson plans to combine with in-class learning.

“It’s better than watching the teacher move around and talk about the same stuff over and over,” Justin said Thursday. “Virtual learning helps you know what you’re doing better.”

Conestoga Valley recently received two grants totaling more than $70,000 to become members of Blended Schools and begin implementing its programs in classrooms.

Donovan Mann, Conestoga Valley’s director of curriculum and instruction, said Blended Schools is designed to complement traditional classroom learning.

“It enhances what’s already there,” Mann said. “It’s an alternative form of education beyond bricks and mortar. It’s important because students are growing up in a digital world.”

This year, some of the grant money was used to hire a technology integration specialist and implement Blended Schools in the districts’ alternative-education program, designed for students who struggle in a typical classroom setting.

Freshman Christine Lopez said learning via computer keeps her interested in the subject material.

“We go through notes and play games at the end,” Christine said. “That’s what I like about it.”

Julio Rodriguez, a freshman, said he enjoys exploring different course links.

“I’ve learned a lot by working on Blended Schools,” Julio said. “It’s fun. I’ve learned a lot of interesting facts.”

One of the benefits of a digitized classroom, Mann said, is it allows teachers to find out which students are struggling by calling up computer files.

“Using this technology, teachers can instantly find out what students don’t know,” Mann said. “It provides information that is not easily collected in a normal setting.”

Matt Merrell-Thomas, a CV alternative-education teacher, said Blended Schools lets students know exactly how they are doing in a particular class.

“They can look at their grades on the computer,” Merrell-Thomas said. “If they don’t like their grade, it motivates them to do better.”

Blended Schools also provides excellent research tools,!\q Merrell-Thomas said.

“We use the science curriculum a lot,” he said. “I’m a social studies guy, so we use science links to do research.”

Merrell-Thomas said Blended Schools courses are designed to engage students.

“A lot of the activities are fun and better than textbooks,” he said.

Although students sometimes work independently on lessons through Blended Schools, Merrell-Thomas said he doesn’t lose out on teaching time.

“That’s the goal: trying to find a balance between Blended Schools and teaching,” he said. “There are activities that allow me to take center stage.”

Mann said the district is training classroom teachers in Blended Schools programs.

Intermediate Unit 13 is a member of Blended Schools as are Solanco, Ephrata and Donegal school districts.

There are 115 districts statewide that are members of Blended Schools. To become a member, districts must pay $10,500 for about 200 software licenses.

Dave Solon, CV’s assistant manager of computer services, was hired this school year to oversee the technical aspects of Blended Schools. He said he’s been working with teachers to develop tailored curricula.

“There is a large list of courses (the teachers) can copy,” Solon said. “They can add links and take them away and develop what they want the course to look like.”

There have been glitches, Solon said, but most of them have been worked out. He said teachers are enthusiastic about learning how to use Blended Schools.

Conestoga Valley Assistant Principal Perry Pritchard said he likes that Blended Schools courses are designed by teachers in the state.

“What we like most is that the courses themselves are created by Pennsylvania teachers, so our teachers don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” Pritchard said.

Next year, the district will receive additional grant money to purchase laptops, smartboards and projectors.

Mann said math and English classes probably will be the first regular education classes to participate in a virtual classroom setting as part of Blended Schools.

“The eventual goal is to get laptops into all the classrooms,” Mann said.

Solanco School District has been been a member of Blended Schools for two years. Superintendent Jon Rednak is on the Blended Schools’ state board of directors.

Rednak also heads the South Central Regional Consortium for Distance Learning, made up of schools in Lancaster, York, Adams, Berks and Chester counties that use Blended Schools.

Rednak said Solanco alternative-education students also are learning through a Blended Schools curriculum.

Rednak said it’s convenient because it’s easily accessible.

“It’s not only used in schools,” Rednak said. “It can be used from home 24 hours a day.”

Blended Schools also can be used by students who cannot attend school, Rednak said.


Madelyn Pennino’s e-mail address is mpenninolnpnews.com. blog comments powered by Disqus